


Read me your life

by Zafhira



Series: Read to me [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Community Service, Gen, Hospital, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, Suicide Attempt, Tony Does What He Wants, Tony Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart, mentions of self harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 15:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13344525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zafhira/pseuds/Zafhira
Summary: Tony Stark is sent to do community service at the local hospital, where he meets one very sad kid.





	Read me your life

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Read me your life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13518585) by [Angry_Cactus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angry_Cactus/pseuds/Angry_Cactus)



> Hi guys! This is something I've worked on for a while, it's the start of a series that will tackle my own feelings and issues. I won't glorify this because there is nothing to glorify, and I hope the next part will come out soon!

23:00

"I'll come get you in the morning. And for everything holy in this world Tony, please behave yourself. This is a hospital. No alcohol, no screaming," Pepper said, looking at her boss; Tony Stark.

Tony just shrugged his shoulders. "Pep, I may be a narcissistic bastard but that does not mean I'm stupid. I know how to behave at a hospital. I spent most of my childhood here you know."

"I know, I was there with you. Just be careful, please. You're 26, not 16. I have faith in you. And you're not reading for random people, you're reading for those who are here alone and doesn't have anyone else, be careful with what you say and how you react," she finished and gently hugged him. "I promise I won't do anything more stupid than what got me sent here. Ok?" Tony shrugged because no way in hell would Tony ever volunteer to read for sick people. Community service for trashing his own car in his own fountain was just plain stupid, but it was better than jail. Too bad he couldn't just give the blue guys some money and go free. Oh well.

Pepper just gave him one of her famous "I mean it" looks, and then she was gone. A nurse led him to the first patient of his sentence, an older woman with lung cancer. Tony took a deep breath, prayed to some god up there for him to survive this, and entered the room.

00:30

Tony had read for five people in one and a half hour. The old lady had been very kind. She'd called him "a nice young lad with a big heart" and Tony had almost laughed out loud. He? Nice with a big heart? If she only knew why he was here and who he was.

After the old lady, he'd read for a couple of drunk people who cried when he'd told them he'd read Shakespeare, sobbing about "S'so nice to see young ones reading the good'ol Shakespeare." Then he'd read for a young girl and her newborn baby, talking to the girl about how a study in North Carolina had shown that Shakespeare had a positive effect on the kid's intelligence. She'd smiled at him and promised to keep up the reading, hoping the kid would be smarter than she had been.

And now finally there was a break and food. Tony was relieved to see that he didn't have to eat the horrible garbage posing as the food they served in the hospital. Pepper had packed him some chicken and pesto mayo sandwiches, bless her cooking skills, and Tony made a note of raising her payment.

Tony only managed to eat two out of three before he was full. It was still half an hour left of his break and literally nothing to do in the boring staffroom, so he grabbed his book and went wandering the halls.

There weren't very many people in the halls at this time of the night. There weren't that many incidents on the weekdays, so on a boring Thursday night, most of the nurses were elsewhere.

He walked around the halls for a while, exploring the hospital. It was just as boring and scary as he remembered from his childhood. He remembered when Howard broke his arm on accident, and that time Rhodey pushed him out of the way from a bully and he sprained his ankle. The bully had ended up more beat up than Tony had, and Rhodey had ended up with bruised knuckles. How the guy got into the military with all the fights he had to save Tony's ass was a miracle.

Three nurses walked out from a room a bit further down the corridor. The moment the door was closed one of them sighed. "Loki again. This is the third time this month. I don't get why his family refuses to get him treatment."

"Yeah, and then they don't even bother to visit when this happens. It's like they're waiting for him to succeed. I feel sorry for him, it's so easy to see why he ended up like this. Poor kid," one of the other ones mumbled and they all nodded in agreement. They continued to discuss Loki's case while they walked, and Tony heard fragments of it. Suicide attempt, eight altogether, no close family coming to see him, self-harm sending him to ER every other day etc. Tony could feel it tug on his heart. Maybe if he hadn't had Pepper and Rhodey he would have ended up in the same spot. 

Tony looked down at the book in his hand. Maybe this Loki kid would like some company? A part of Tony just wanted to see the kid, see for himself. If the kid really was as fucked up as the nurses made him out to be, Tony wanted to see him.

He took a deep breath and walked up to the door, knocking. Not surprisingly he didn't get any answer so Tony did what he thought was best; he opened the door and slipped in.

The room wasn't big. It was an isolated room with only one bed, a small bathroom to the side and huge windows that showed the view of the whole city. The boy on the bed didn't look a day over fifteen, and again Tony felt his heart tug in his chest. Some things just weren't fair. The boy, Loki, looked at him as if Tony's existence was an insult to his person. "Don't you nurses have anything else to do than bother me?"

"Probably. Unfortunately for you, I'm neither a nurse nor am I employed here so you just have to deal with me. Besides, I'm just as stuck here as you so why not suffer together."

The boy scoffed. "You're not as stuck as I am, so please shove it and leave," he said and lifted his arms. They didn't go high. There was leather around his wrists, cuffed to the bed and holding them in place. Then the boy's eyes went to the book in his hands and they went big. "Wait, what's that?"

Tony held the book up. "This? My work. Or, my job assignment today. I'm here to read to the unfortunate souls who don't have anyone close. Today's author; Edgar Allan Poe. Yesterday, or two hours ago if you may, was Shakespeare."

Green eyes eyed the book for a while before the boy slumped back on the bed. "I'm sorry. Please read for me?"

The answer surprised Tony a bit, but then he smiled and sat down on the chair by the bed. "What do you want me to read? You seem like someone who knows Poe in and out and everything in between."

"The Raven. Please," the boy said, and then Tony read.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— "

01:00

"And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, Shall be lifted—nevermore."

Tony closed the book and looked over at the boy. His eyes were closed and he was breathing calmly. Not sleeping, Tony was sure the boy was awake. Sure enough, his eyes opened and he looked straight at Tony.

"You're not like everyone else. I don't understand why, but you're different," he said, eyes searching Tony in wonder. Tony just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, what can I say? I'm pretty badass." That comment earned Tony a smirk, and it fit the boy's face just as much as those green eyes. He looked almost normal if Tony ignored the hospital setting.

"I would not say that. But you are different. There is a heart in there somewhere, a kind heart, and I am very grateful that you took the time to read for me."

Now it was Tony's turn to smirk. "Oh, you know me so well already? Well, sorry to burst your bubble but you're probably talking to the most egocentric person on this planet." He didn't wait for an answer before he got up, ready to leave. He still had to finish reading to the people actually on his list but.

The boy just looked at him, so Tony gave him a wave and walked towards the door.

"Loki."

Tony stopped with one hand on the door handle, glancing over his shoulder. "Come again?"

The boy looked at him a bit hesitantly. "Loki. That's my name, in case you want to find me again." Tony smiled at him. "Tony. In case you didn't already know," was all he said before he left.

07:55

Pepper stood by the reception desk and waited for Tony when he got there. His service ended at eight, but he'd done such a fantastic job (the nurse's words, not his) that she'd let him go early.

She looked pleased, eyeing Tony as he walked up to her. "Tada, that wasn't so hard," he said and gave her a hug. "I'm proud of you, for not screwing up in some way."

Tony just shrugged. "I'm not a fuck up all the time you know.". Pepper just smiled at him, that bright smile that oozed life. It was the most beautiful thing Tony knew, and when he saw that smile on Pepper's face Tony imagined how a smile so full of life would look on Loki. He hadn't had the time to see the boy again. Not because he'd had so many patients on his list, but every time he tried to sneak off to see the kid there was always some doctor by his door. He hadn't managed to hear more about the kid either. if Tony was as smart as he was he'd say the doctors had stopped caring about their patient. It almost seemed like they were, just like the kid's family apparently, waiting for Loki to succeed.

"Well, our ride is waiting and you have a meeting in about half an hour so we need to get going." Pepper gave Tony a pat on the shoulder before she turned around and started towards the exit. Tony had about 0.3 seconds to think about his decision before he acted, and promptly walked in the other direction. "Wait for me in the car, I just forgot something," he said before jogging towards Loki's room. One more time, Tony had to see the kid one more time and make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid.

When Tony finally got to the right door he almost tore it open, but the room was empty. No sign of the kid. He turned around and looked around the hallway. "Hey, where's the kid who was in here?" he called to a nurse nearby, who almost jumped when she was addressed. "Loki? He was discharged about half an hour ago, we can't keep him here unless his parents agree to it," she splurged. Before she could finish Tony sprinted back where he came from.

Unless his parents agreed to it, so the parents had let the kid go. Even Tony, with his fucked up parents, could admit that was so out of this world fucked up it couldn't be possible. It couldn't. Pepper was waiting for him in the lobby, something Tony didn't notice before he almost crashed into her. "Tony!"

"Pep!"

"What are you-"

"Don't have time. Have you seen a kid, about fifteen, long, thin, black hair, should have walked out of here not so long ago?" Tony blurted, trying to catch his breath. Pepper blinked twice before she found her voice. "Well, someone like that left before you were finished with your reading. Didn't look too happy about it. What, did something happen? Do you know the kid?" she asked, placing a hand gently on Tony's cheek.

Tony didn't notice. Loki had left before he was finished. Twenty minutes ago. "Shit!"

Before anyone could blink Tony was out on the streets, looking around with a tiny hope he'd see the black hair among all the people. But twenty minutes was a long time and New York was a big place. Finding Loki here would be like finding the needle in the haystack, the skittle in the M&M bowl, the vodka in the water. Impossible.

Loki was gone, and Tony had a feeling that before the day was over, the meaning of "gone" would have changed.


End file.
